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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
MUSI D003B
Course Title (CB02)
Comprehensive Musicianship (Second Quarter)
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2021
Course Description
This course covers principles, literacy, and parameters of music including writing elementary four-part harmony, sight-singing, rhythmic training, ear training, and keyboard work for the student with some basic skills and education in standard notation.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is a major preparation requirement in the discipline of music for at least one CSU or UC. This course is required for the A.A. Music degree. This course is part of the core six-quarter group of courses, each of which is required. The course is needed by students in order to graduate or transfer as a music major or minor. This course introduces students to four-part writing plus forms.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
C-IDArea(s)StatusDetails
MUSMusicApprovedMUSI D003A & MUSI D003B & MUSI D003C required for C-ID MUS 120 and C-ID MUS 125 and C-ID MUS 130 and C-ID MUS 135

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours3.57.0
Laboratory Hours1.50.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
42.0
Laboratory
18.0
Total
60.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
84.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
84.0

Prerequisite(s)

MUSI D003A or by audition

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

(Student must audition or meet course prerequisite(s).)

General Course Statement(s)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Homework and extended projects

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Assignments

  1. Composition of four part vocal texture pieces - one phrase
  2. Analysis of four part chorales
  3. Composition of a melody creating a parallel period where subphrases include motivic manipulation
  4. Readings in the principal text
  5. Analysis of prototypical examples of the various "familiar" forms
  6. Computer lab work on assignments both specific to a particular week and in pursuit of quarter length goals distributed at the beginning of the quarter
  7. (Optional) Suggested extra credit assignments in pursuit of the performance or study of any style of music from any culture, especially those not presented to any significant extent at the college and linked to the course by the student

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Direct observation of student in class board work evaluated for the extent to which the student is making progress towards the minimum 70% accuracy required to be deemed successful
  2. Individual sight singing/rhythmic training final exam evaluated for the extent to which the student is making progress towards the minimum 70% accuracy required to be deemed successful
  3. Final written exam including short answer, fill in, dictation, and notation.
  4. Periodic and final in class melodic and rhythmic dictation evaluated for the extent to which the student is making progress towards the minimum 70% accuracy required to be deemed successful
  5. Written assignments (2-3 per week) evaluated for the extent to which they are above, at, or below the standard established to predict success in the element of the assignment.
  6. Computer lab work for skill development, effort evaluated for the extent to which the student is making progress towards the minimum 70% accuracy required to be deemed successful.
  7. Individual keyboard final assessment with an evaluation of the student's progress towards, ultimately, a transfer placement exam evaluated for the extent to which the student is making progress towards the minimum 70% accuracy required to be deemed successful.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • Music manuscript paper
  • Access to a keyboard instrument
  • Access to a computer laboratory containing music notation and ear training software
Essential College Facilities:
  • Classroom with enough staff lined boards to allow all students to work simultaneously, piano, multiple media sound playback equipment with adequate speaker system, and computer lab facility suitable for Comprehensive Musicianship instructional and notational software

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
*Benward, Bruce. "Music in Theory and Practice", Boston: Mc Graw Hill, 9th edition, 2014.
*Sadie, Stanley Ed. "The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians", London: Grove Press, 2nd edition, 2001.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Berkowitz, Charles et al. "A New Approach to Sight Singing", New York: W.W. Norton, 6th edition 2017.
Burkhart, Charles. "Anthology for Musical Analysis", New York: Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 7th edition 2010.
Sadie, Stanley Ed. "The Norton/Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music". New York: W.W. Norton, 2003.
Starer, Robert. "Rhythmic Training." New York: MCA Music, 1969.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Recognize the interaction of musical parameters, musical skill, and knowledge development by analyzing various musical problems from conception, choice, rehearsal, to performance and hypothetical critique.
  • Recognize the interaction of musical parameters by sound in the music of many cultures such as Japanese, Chinese, Balinese/Javanese, Indian, Pakistani, Persian, North African/Middle Eastern, West African, East African, South African, and Latin American
  • Demonstrate basic musical materials by sound and producing vocal or other acoustic performance
  • Play at the keyboard basic scales (to five flats and sharps), modes, intervals, and intermediate notated melodies and respond to weekly exposure to new material and subsequent application at a keyboard instrument in preparation, ultimately for standard transfer placement exams.
  • Sight sing mostly conjunct diatonic melodies in major, minor, and the diatonic modes and sight read simple and compound meter rhythms. Participate in weekly individual and group sight singing/rhythmic training sessions. Perception of scale degrees and various intervals will be reinforced by computer assisted instruction.
  • Demonstrate intermediate level notating abilities by writing the solutions to various notational problems, both literal duplication and where the solution includes changes in clef and key.
  • Analyze and compose in four part chorale style and technique by producing or otherwise completing numerous assignments, quizzes, and mid term and final examinations where the most of the various standard starting points for four part writing are given.
  • Recall the so called "familiar" forms and elements of form determination and creation by writing a typical diagram for a given form named, outlining phrases and periods, and composing consequent phrases for given antecedents or vice versa.

CSLOs

  • Apply the stylistic principles of and normative adherence to the rules of strict four part writing using tertian triads in root, 6, and 6/4 positions in writing short pieces in four parts (SATB) from a given melody, bass line, or chord progression.

  • Demonstrate the use of solfeggio in accurate sight singing of melodies containing a balance of disjunct and conjunct motions.

Outline

  1. Recognize the interaction of musical parameters, musical skill, and knowledge development by analyzing various musical problems from conception, choice, rehearsal, to performance and hypothetical critique.
    1. Sound: The student will learn to identify the instrumentation, orchestration, dynamics, articulation, and texture features of several pieces of music, some using sound alone, some using score alone, and some using both
    2. Form: The student will learn the so called "familiar forms", how to describe unique forms, and then learn how to find both familiar and unique form types at work in several pieces of music from scores and at least one from sound alone.
  2. Recognize the interaction of musical parameters by sound in the music of many cultures such as Japanese, Chinese, Balinese/Javanese, Indian, Pakistani, Persian, North African/Middle Eastern, West African, East African, South African, and Latin American
    1. Given a recorded example identifying instrument types
    2. Given a recorded example identifying scales and or modes used
    3. Given a recorded example describing the relationship between any two music parameters
  3. Demonstrate basic musical materials by sound and producing vocal or other acoustic performance
    1. Sing a melody with good intonation from memory
    2. Perform the rhythm of a piece with moderately complex rhythms by any means comfortable
    3. Call out harmonic changes in a simple folk or folk like piece with simple standard harmonic language as the changes occur
  4. Play at the keyboard basic scales (to five flats and sharps), modes, intervals, and intermediate notated melodies and respond to weekly exposure to new material and subsequent application at a keyboard instrument in preparation, ultimately for standard transfer placement exams.
    1. Play two hands, multiple octaves, any major or minor scale up to five flats or sharps
    2. Play any diatonic modal scale from any pitch class
    3. Sight read and transpose a simple, two phrase melody
  5. Sight sing mostly conjunct diatonic melodies in major, minor, and the diatonic modes and sight read simple and compound meter rhythms. Participate in weekly individual and group sight singing/rhythmic training sessions. Perception of scale degrees and various intervals will be reinforced by computer assisted instruction.
    1. Sight sing mostly conjunct melodies with a given tempo
    2. Sight sing a mostly conjunct melody against pitch interference
    3. Sight sing a mostly conjunct melody against rhythmic interference
    4. Sight read moderately complex meters based on subdivisions of three or four using beaters, clapping, moving feet, or conducting gesture plus vocalization
  6. Demonstrate intermediate level notating abilities by writing the solutions to various notational problems, both literal duplication and where the solution includes changes in clef and key.
    1. Change the notation of a rhythm from quarter note as beat to half note as beat et cetera - e.g.two four to two two
    2. Rewrite a melody from treble to other clefs
    3. Write a melody in a key different than the original
  7. Analyze and compose in four part chorale style and technique by producing or otherwise completing numerous assignments, quizzes, and mid term and final examinations where the most of the various standard starting points for four part writing are given.
    1. Analyze chorales for cadences, and harmonic functions plus non harmonic tones with key areas provided.
    2. Compose four part writing, adding three lower parts to a given soprano
    3. Compose four part writing from a given harmonic progression
    4. Compose a four part writing from a given bass line using notational software
  8. Recall the so called "familiar" forms and elements of form determination and creation by writing a typical diagram for a given form named, outlining phrases and periods, and composing consequent phrases for given antecedents or vice versa.
    1. Produce standard diagrams for binary and ternary forms
    2. Compose melodies producing minimum binary and simple ternary structures

Lab Topics

  1. Computer assisted instruction: Melodic dictation
  2. Computer assisted instruction: Harmonic dictation
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